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movie review - Slumdog Millionaire

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Tokyo, 2010.02.06

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that I suspected I'd already seen the best film of the year with "Wall-E". Well, tonight we watched this movie set in India about an impoverished young man from one of Mumbai's slums. He's entered into a game show and has done very well, so naturally he's arrested. The authorities demand an explanation of how this kid from a slum knows all the answers he's been providing. From the police station, he begins to tell his story. The movie depicts a number of things that I hadn't factored into the lives of people living in the slums of large Indian cities; like sectarian violence.

This is quite good, not quite as gripping as the hype that surrounded this film would have us believe but still. Visually, plot-wise, and tonally very solid.

Recommended.

rand()m quote

Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you'll be a mile away and have his shoes.

—Steve Martin